Aaron Hernandez nominated for Pepsi award
Tight end Aaron Hernandez was one of five players nominated for Pepsi’s Rookie of the Week award, based on his performance during the weekend of September 26-27. The young player made a decisive showing during the Patriots’ Sunday win against Buffalo. He was present for 52 of the 68 plays that game, the highest yet in his first three weeks.Hernandez was drafted from the Florida Gators, where he won the John Mackey Award his junior year. The annual award honors the best tight end in college sports, and is named after the Baltimore Colts tight end.Other finalists for the Pepsi award include Sam Bradford (St. Louis), Tony Moeaki (Kansas City), C.J. Spiller (Buffalo), and Earl Thomas (Seattle). The winner will be announced Friday. If he doesn’t get it this week, hopefully Hernandez doesn’t take it too hard. He’s proving himself to be a valuable part of the Pats’ offense, and he’s got plenty of time to shine in the rest of the season. Plus, there’s always the Pepsi Rookie of the Year award.